Karen is trailblazer in the Marketing, Public Relations & Communications industry in Canada. She was the first person of South Asian descent to serve on the Board of the Canadian Public Relations Society-Vancouver (CPRS) from 1995-1998. She is also a historian who volunteered her time to write a book which documents the journeys of the first South Asians in Canada. A woman like Karen Dosanjh has many layers which includes her vast professional accomplishments and community service to effect positive change.
Throughout her remarkable 25-year career, Karen Dosanjh has overcome both gender and cultural barriers to reach new heights in the business & technology sector. Karen is one of the first women of Indian descent to practice public relations in Canada (1992). As Vice-President, Marketing, she leads the global marketing strategy for OSI Digital, a provider of technology solutions for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Karen is a force to be reckoned with in Canada’s tech sector and was instrumental in the launch of three successful start-ups throughout her career. In 2019, she was named a 2019 Shakti Award recipient for Professional Achievement.
On a personal note, helping others rise along with her is part of Karen’s DNA and she pays it forward through mentorship by helping create space for young women in business. In 2018, she established the first-ever GE Women’s Network in BC to help women break into careers in tech. Karen also serves as a volunteer lecturer at her alma mater, SFU, and speaks to Beedie School of Business students on the topic of Global Leadership.
In 2020, Karen authored ‘Untold Stories: The South Asian Pioneer Experience in BC’ which shines the light on the first wave of migrants from India to Canada in the early 1900s.
Karen has worked tirelessly to bring Sikh-centric stories to students who greatly benefit from culturally significant content in classrooms. She was nominated for the Order of British Columbia in 2021 by BC school teachers for her work in preserving history for the benefit of BC’s youth. Karen has partnered with SikhLens and Chapman University to produce a documentary titled Hidden Histories which will air on PBS later this year.
Karen is speaking on a CPRS panel ‘Honest Conversations with South Asian Media & PR Ground breakers’ on April 27 where prominent South Asian business leaders will discuss issues related to diversity & inclusion in leadership roles.
